


Going Among Mad People

by DrakkenWasHere



Category: Batman the Animated Series
Genre: Mad Hatter - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-08-30
Updated: 2010-08-30
Packaged: 2017-10-11 08:33:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,973
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/110433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DrakkenWasHere/pseuds/DrakkenWasHere
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>-Mad Hatter- "Tut, tut, child!" said the Duchess. "Everything's got a moral, if only you can find it."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Going Among Mad People

**Author's Note:**

> Going Among Mad People

Going Among Mad People

By: DrakkenWasHere

Disclaimer: I do not own anything in the Batman universe, that goes to DC comics. (Or Bob Kane, if you want Batman's creator.) Any Alice references belong to Lewis Carroll.

WARNING: I do introduce an original character. Oh, but don't worry. It's neither a Mary-Sue or a love interest. If you like it leave a comment. If you hate it, leave a comment. If you are suffering from dissociative identity disorder, leave a comment.

~0~0~0~

"I have seen mad people, and I have known some who were quite intelligent, lucid, even clear-sighted in every concern of life, except on one point. They could speak clearly, readily, profoundly on everything; till their thoughts were caught in the breakers of their delusions and went to pieces there, were dispersed and swamped in that furious and terrible sea of fogs and squalls which is called MADNESS."

~GUY DE MAUPASSANT, "The Horla"

~0~0~0~

How different are those who suffer from insanity? Sure, they see life in an unique way. But, who doesn't? We are all shaped by what we experience. That scary movie you saw in your youth could have instilled your fear of clowns. And beatings from your father could have made you have low self esteem. Continuing this train of thought, who is to say that madness can't spring upon anyone?

Any resident in Gotham city could be your perfect test subject.

The Mad Hatter was on edge, terribly nervous. He cursed his impulsive ways. Even though he was "on the lamb", so to speak, the blonde craved human interaction. Well…at the very least, he wanted to look at others doing so.

Jervis Tetch had broken out of Arkham a few weeks prior, and now wanted to have some fun with his new founded freedom. So what was the first thought that sprung to mind? Easy, the Iceberg Lounge. It was the only place he was welcomed to enjoy a cup of tea.

While he watched the other guests, he was at least thankful he had not worn his "normal" attire. Today, Jervis had decided to blend in. None had noticed that a weed was among their flowerbed. The British man picked off a speck of lint, from his vest, before returning to his tea.

All the way across the room, Tetch began to stare at a young couple. He sneered at how…physical they were being. In public, nonetheless. They were actions meant to be left in the bedroom.

"Revolting, isn't it?"

Jervis was startled. How had someone snuck up on him like that? The Hatter turned to look over his shoulder; his gaze landed upon a young woman.

The woman continued, "It's just awful how people can be so selfish. There are others who find such public displays to be quite…Awkward. And just plain rude. Sometimes it feels like I'm among mad people!"

The blonde looked back into his drink. He shrugged. "'Oh, YoU cAn'T hElP tHaT; wE'rE aLl MaD hErE.'"

Looking back at the lady, the criminal saw a soft smile. Her lips weren't painted, he noted, they were merely a natural rosy hue.

"Do…Do you mind if I sit with you, sir?"

Tetch thought about it. What was the harm in letting her? The mad man had wanted to communicate with someone, after all. And Jonathan was still locked up in the nut house. Besides, she would be a breath of fresh air.

"Hmm, I suppose not." Jervis flicked his wrist to the place across from him, motioning her to sit. "Please, have a seat."

After scooting her way into the booth, and following placing her order for her own tea, the blonde looked over his new "companion". The woman looked to be young, mid twenties at the most. Her pale skin made her azure orbs seem very bright. As the brunette pulled a pocket watch from her waist coat, the Hatter voiced his opinion.

"YoUr HaIr WaNtS cUtTiNg." He had been looking at her with curiosity, and this had been his attempt at starting a conversation. Tetch didn't understand WHY she had wanted to converse with him, but he didn't want to disappoint.

"'YoU sHoUlD lEaRn NoT tO mAkE pErSoNaL rEmArKs,'" she quoted with amusement, "' iT's VeRy RuDe.'"

The Hatter opened his eyes very wide on hearing this; one could say he was surprised. It wasn't very often someone knew Alice by heart. However, the criminal was also suspicious.

"What do you want from me?" Jervis went straight to the point. He wasn't in the mood to dance around the subject.

She frowned, all of her previous cheerfulness disappeared. The blonde would say she almost looked skittish. His guest cleared her throat. "I…I only wish to ask some questions. Um, about yourself."

"So you're a reporter?" Mister Tetch glared. "Trying to get the big scoop on the crazy Mad Hatter?" He was so distressed that he didn't notice how redundant that question was.

"No!" Her outburst caught him off guard. "No…It's merely for curiosity."

The blonde calmed down. If it was anything he hated more than Batman, psychiatrists, and rudeness-it was reporters. They were just too nosy for his taste.

"Curiosity killed the cat, you know."

The woman's grin returned, this time it could rival a Cheshire's. "I thought curiosity WAS a cat."

The Hatter couldn't help but chuckle at this, his hand covering his exposed teeth. The other's comment was quite corny, yet also adorable. His mind immediately linked it to the innocence of youth.

After his little fit, Jervis went back to the subject at hand. "So… What do you wish to know?"

"Why are you so obsessed with Wonderland?"

The taller man didn't think she was judging him. Her tone didn't portray superiority, nor pity; the girl WAS just inquiring. He wanted to link it to how his doctors had required to know the same thing. But, the Hatter thought it wasn't dissecting him. She wouldn't try to use his answer against him.

"I'm 'obsessed', as you happened to put it, because I _live_ in Wonderland."

"'Live?'"

Tetch had memories flash before him, and his gaze went away from the brunette's. "Yes. I'm constantly surrounded by Jabberwocks, I dine at mad tea parties, and there are always Duchesses who speak roughly to their little boys..." The criminal lingered at the last bit.

Jervis was about to lament about his past, internally suffering, when he felt a hand gently place itself upon his. The blonde was jolted out of his thoughts, and looked at the blue eyed youth. She looked sad. Tetch didn't know what to think of this; none had ever tried to comfort him before.

He decided to turn the tables. "And you? Why are YOU infatuated by it?"

"M-Me? How do you know if I'm a fan?"

"YoU mUsT bE," said the Hatter," oR yOu woUlDn'T hAvE cOmE hErE."

She looked away, slightly embarrassed. This gave Jervis the perfect opportunity to look at her hair. He wasn't joking, her fringe did need cutting. Even in this lighting her could see it had been awhile since she had a trim.

"I...I wouldn't know where to begin with answering. My thoughts are quite biased and whatnot. "

Silence hung about their table. It wasn't full of tension. Not the sort of silence or calm you felt before a storm. It was merely there. It was as if the place was putt on mute.

It was Tetch's turn to clear his throat. "Well...'BeGiN aT tHe BeGiNnInG aNd WhEn YoU gEt To ThE eNd, StOp.'"

She considered how to answer. "Well, let's see. I think I just enjoy the notion of it. Though it's a world filled with nonsense, there seems to be a sort of order about it. It felt like a place anyone was welcomed to visit, if they merely sought it. The citizens asked you to join their dance. So I indulged myself in this fantasy. It made up for the loneliness I felt as a child."

The pale woman continued with a blush. "And growing up, I had always wanted to go to the Mad Hatter's tea party. It threw away all the etiquette one had to learn, and it was a time of merriment. I use to lay around and muse about what I would say to the lot: 'Oh Dormouse! Do tell us another story. Mister Hare, you seemed to have stained your new gloves! Dear Hatter, would you make up another riddle?'" She rested her head in her hands, looking a little depressed. "I use to wish on stars, asking for it to let me stumble upon a rabbit hole. Or if it would let me enter into the looking glass world..."

Interesting. Jervis was right about his earlier assessment. She was innocent. He wondered how she had stayed that way for so long, especially living in this town. Either you were born with the sins, or Gotham tainted your soul. The city was a dark and foreboding place filled with crime, grime, corruption, and a deep-seated sense of urban decay. Again, how had it not defiled that naivety?

Not having anything to say about her comment, the man decided to change the subject.

"You? 'WhO aRe _YoU'_?"

"Oh! How awfully rude of me! I'm March...March Harden."

Heh, how amusing. He smiled at hearing her name; it oddly fit her. Just like how you could look at some people and say "Yes, he does look like a James". But then again, it could have just been his insanity making him think that.

"Well, hello Ms. March. As you probably know, I am Jervis Tetch. How do you do?"

The rest of the night flew by, the two of them talking. They went on about many different topics. They discussed about all of Reverend Dodgson's work. They poked fun at some of the other guests in the joint. March told him how she found him to be delightful, and how the papers had him all wrong. Tetch, in turn, said that she was an interesting companion. The night was perfect. Well...as perfect as one would hope for with a criminally insane individual.

But,unfortunately,the night had to end some time.

"Shoot! I'm sorry, Jervis, but it's dreadfully late. I must be getting home."

The Mad Hatter frowned for a moment, before changing it back to a grin. "Don't worry, my dear, I completely understand. At least let me have the honor of walking you to your car."

They both paid their tabs, and walked out of the establishment. They walked shoulder-to-shoulder, and both were silent. However, it was peaceful.

Finally they reached her vehicle.

"Oh, March!" Tetch began, "Thank you for such a frabjous evening."

The woman beamed. "The pleasure was all mine." She got in the car. "Good bye Jervis. I hope to see you again." With that, Ms. Harden drove off into the early morning.

~0~0~0~

The Mad Hatter was exhausted, he hadn't been able to sleep at all that week. Ever since the new patient arrived, they had been keeping everyone up. Arkham was filled with maniacal laughter, cries of help, and wails throughout the nights. It was driving them all mad! Well...at least more than usual.

Tetch had been brought back a month before, and he was still feeling the beating he got from the Dark Knight. Wait, correction: It had been 28 days, 17 hours, and 46 minutes. The ticking of the clock would have gotten to him, if he weren't use to it. Time was the only friend he had in a place like that.

"Tetch, it's your move."

Well, that, and Jonathan Crane.

"Oh Jonathan, I'm terribly sorry. My mind is just a little groggy."

Scarecrow thought the reply over. He glanced at his chum. "Medication?"

The criminal smiled. Many people thought Crane to be a completely heartless person. But it was moments like these that he thought those people to be dead wrong. The lanky man didn't care about humanity as a whole, but he had a soft spot for some.

Or that could have just been Jervis' biased opinion.

"No. Just tired. I haven't been sleeping very well." The Hatter moved his rook, taking the other's pond.

The professor nodded, as he too was having the same problem. Crane moved one of his own pieces.

The news had been spreading throughout he asylum all. It was said that this newcomer was one of the Joker's lucky victims. And by "lucky" one meant they merely got to live. Here is the story that was said to have went down: The weekend before was when it happened. The clown prince of crime had been trying to lure Batman into being captured. Who knew why he wanted this. That mad man probably just wanted to play with his favorite toy. So what happened? He had disguised himself as an injured man, and was screaming for help in an alley in the center of town. Only...the caped crusader wasn't the one that found him.

It was a woman. The rumor was that she was a young pretty thing, somewhere around 5 foot 10. This lady was either stupid, or had some type of hero complex. For, you see, she had ran up to the Joker; she was trying to help him. Now he didn't like that. Not. One. Bit. It seemed that the madcap of mayhem was angered and insulted by this. But, hey, he could have just as easily thought it to be funny. Who really knew how the man's mind worked?

So what did he do to her? Simple, he had used his handy-dandy joker venom. Said to have squirted her directly in the face. Finding that harming an innocent person wasn't the same as fighting his "honey cakes", he ran off looking for the Bat. Ran off, leaving the lady to die of laughter.

But hey, she was fortunate. She was found in time to be given the serum. All's well, that ends well...Right?

Jervis was about to move his queen, putting the Scarecrow in check. However, he was interrupted by the fuss of the others. They were beginning to be antsy and gossiped amongst themselves.

Crane sighed, "Give me a break. These fools are acting as if they were still in high school."

"Oh come now, Jonathan. Don't be too harsh on them. They're just excited, is all. The poor dear is suppose to join our tea party, today."

The red head knew exactly who he was talking about. He scowled at this. "What an ingenius idea. Put the woman in a room full of criminals. That will surely calm her anxieties." His tone dripped with sarcasm. He may not have been a doctor anymore, but Scarecrow still criticized how the place was run. In his eyes, Dr. Arkham was a fool.

Before the blonde could comment, the door to the front of the room opened. A few guards and a psychiatrist walked in. Following behind was the asylum's new resident. Tetch visible paled.

It was no mistaking it, March Harden was the victim. Though it would've been hard to tell, seeing as she received a new "makeover". Once brown hair was now bleached a permanent white. Odd, if a color change had occurred it was usually a dark green. Maybe it was a different poison? Or she could have just had a "special" immune system. But that wasn't the only difference. March was also sporting the Joker grin. It was almost as if the smile was mocking what she was really feeling. It was evident from her eyes. Her azure orbs were gone; replaced by a sickening red.

She may not have looked like herself, Jervis just had the instinct that it was her.

"Almost depressing, isn't it?" Even Crane looked to have pitied her.

Yes. He full heartily agreed. A large part of him mourned over the loss. The...The Bandersnatch had tainted her! Soiled her clean and pure mind. He wanted to weep, to deeply sympathize. But then there was a part that couldn't. He couldn't help but welcome her to Wonderland.

It is true, they are all mad there.

~El Fin~

~0~0~0~

"_Next time you see the white rabbit run free  
You might not want to follow  
Lose your youth because beauty is truth  
It's just harder to swallow  
So go ask Alice  
Why the hatter is mad  
She'll turn when you see her  
And laugh And laugh _

_All are welcome in wonderland "_

~"Through the Looking Glass" by Hypnogaja

~0~0~0~

AN: Blah. I think I ruined what I was going for. Well...technically the theme is up to the reader, but here is what I tried to touch on: Metamorphism, or change in general; Innocence, and how it can be spoiled by others; madness; and I guess humanity.

I have no idea where this came from. One night, around 2 in the morning, I heard a strange voice in my head. "Why are you obsessed with Wonderland?" It caught me completely by surprise. I don't see how watching "The Nanny" could spring that question in my mind. But, nonetheless, it did. Though the weird thing is, it wasn't my usual interior monologue tone. It felt dark, older, masculine, and somewhat depressed. So who could it have belonged to? Hoping I didn't have schizophrenia, I gave the role to the Mad Hatter. And everything went downhill from there. Haha!

I actually liked March. She wasn't exactly based off of myself, but I did put a lot of myself in her. Though I felt kinda bad about her ending. Or I would've, if I didn't completely agree with Jervis.

By the by, Harden means "hare valley" in Old English. Surprisingly, it's a real surname.


End file.
